In the early morning, it is misty on the island of Española. The National Geographic Endeavour is anchored at the northeastern point of Gardner Bay, our destination for the day. The shallow water is a beautiful blue color that resembles the Caribbean.
We have a number of activities planned for this morning. Zodiacs are ready to take deepwater snorkelers to an islet near Gardner. During this aquatic adventure, we play with sea lions and enjoy the color of the tropical fish and the gorgonians and sponges decorating the walls of the islet. Meanwhile, another group of explorers are disembarking at the white sand beach to swim and snorkel with more sea lions. Another team of adventurers goes exploring on kayaks along the coast where the scenery cannot be better. The morning seems to be short because joy and fun make the time fly.
In the afternoon, we disembark at the most westerly corner of the island at an enchanting bird nesting area called Punta Suarez. We land at the jetty of the island where the area is teeming with wildlife. We are the first group to arrive so we go ahead so we don’t block the other groups coming to this visitors’ site. Soon after our disembarkation, we are surrounded by birds and iguanas. It’s so exciting that we can’t stop talking and taking pictures. There are a great number of Nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies, waved albatrosses, doves, and hawks. It is hard to describe all the beauty contained in this little area. After enjoying ourselves for two and a half hours, we go back to the ship, our expectations exceeded. Tomorrow will be another fantastic day.
